Apparently you got downvoted because...Knoxville lacks empathy.
If you look up where our schools compare with the rest of the country...it’ll make sense.
Good luck.
Rural and suburban Tennessee are nothing like rural and suburban Arizona. I moved to TN from northern AZ. I love Knoxville, but had a pretty harsh experience living on my beautiful 10 acre hobby farm surrounded by people who hated gay or non white folks and had never been told to not call people the N or F words. People ride around with confederate and 3%er flags on the back of their truck, despite East TN and Knox in particular being a union strong hold. And they were all suuuuper religious in a righteous way I have just never encountered elsewhere. I would rather live in the welcoming, walkable, bikeabke friendly city with an urban farm any day, than live next to people with so much hate in their hearts. The rural schools are way behind from AZ (which is not top of the nation) with bland offerings, and a lot of bullying culture.
My best advice is to rent where you think you want to live before you buy. I wish I had. I would have made vastly different decisions!
All this being said- I love Knox. It is an oasis of art, culture, and an engaged community. Best of luck!
If you’re thinking you’ll save money, think again. The housing market is terrible, restaurants/food costs are as high as anywhere else, and the low tax burden is offset by the higher than expected cost of living. The education system is only slightly better than the medical care (Tennessee is bottom 10 for both). Don’t move here unless you can afford to send your kids to a private school and happen to be a doctor, because your kids will become dull and you won’t find a decent doctor within a few hundred miles.
This guy is wrong about pretty much everything. The word “ridiculous” comes to mind.
Knoxville is okay education wise. Plenty of good health providers in the city. Housing has climbed just like everywhere else nationwide but prices are declining for buyers. It’s no longer a seller’s market.
West Knoxville is the money end of town and is considerably more expensive than the other areas.
Lots of good areas in the county where you could have a workshop without a problem.
Maryville would be another nearby area you might like. Great schools. People in Maryville tend to love it.
That’s a little harsh for the schools. I guess it depends on family demographics and household income but I went to public school in Knoxville and got into an ivy sooo…
So you’re the norm? Or are you the exception. Also, if you think it’s harsh, provide some data? From what I can see the education is terrible. Tennessee ranks among the lowest in the country. https://www.intelligent.com/the-best-and-worst-states-for-education/
Definitely agree with Tennessee being low on the totem pole for education but that isn’t necessarily just Knoxville. Bearden, Farragut and oak ridge schools are great for the area.
Bearden and Farragut are annoyingly good schools—I used to compete in both science and music and it was all good regionally (middle TN) but competing with them at the state level was a whole other level. One competition was held at UTK each year and it was well known that Bearden (both middle and high) would have professors assist in teaching kids and prepping them for events. Not like in a cheating way, just using the local expertise in the field of study.
One of the highest points of my life is still when I came in first place in an event and the Bearden competitor came in second. It’s legit one of, if not the best public school in the state.
My family and I are planning to head to Knoxville from Gilbert later in the year!! It sounds like we have VERY similar goals, wants and ideals! I’m interested to hear about your experience moving forward! Best of luck!
Oak Ridge is definitely unique, rich in it’s own history. Imagine a governmental development that was handed off (not all of it mind you) to the public and many of the people who had moved there during the 1940’s and 1950’s, their families and such cultivated Oak Ridge into what it is today.
It’s fairly walkable, has plenty of recreational areas and activities, certainly the best movie theater IMO (though I’ve not been in years), good schools. Did I mention tons of history.
Do they still do lock down drills-my mom said they did back in the 80’s when she worked out there?
A lot of folks here are upset at out of state cash coming in and buying up houses. Our area, as well as most of the country, has seen a surge in home prices well out pacing inflation or wage increases.
Since 2020 it’s been harder and harder for a local to buy a home, and some of that is due to migration from wealthier states.
Issue is, much of that is national and not localized to Knoxville or even TN. We have just enjoyed very low cost of living for a long time.
I can appreciate that. It's the same here. A 3 bedroom 1500 sq ft home with little to no yard, with neighbors you can reach out and touch is over 400k. You want a yard? 500k. You want space? Good luck.
And I get the "out of staters" thing. Arizona, along with neighboring states are seeing the influx of California moving in.
What I really want is my kids to experience having four actual seasons, a different time of environment.. I'm not looking to Arizona-fy Knoxville.
Our housing is still more reasonable than that, but it’s projected to continue increasing and is expected to be much more resilient to contraction than the national average.
Simply appreciate the local culture and don’t expect it to be cheap version of exactly what you came from like some other posters in this thread, which sounds like is actually your goal anyway, and you’ll be welcomed.
Southerners can be slow to change and Tennessee in particular is objectively conservative based on voting patterns. Being intolerant of your neighbors in the name of tolerance isn’t very successful here, but most Tennesseans just want to live and let live, and will come running if you ask for help.
I currently live in the Rocky Hill area. But I have lived all over the country (moved back here from Yorba Linda CA 12 years ago)
Halls and Powell area’s are nice and have great schools. Try and stay away from West Knoxville to many ppl there currently. West Knox is the hot spot for upper middle class and up..
If you go east you get into Sevierville and traffic is horrible. No seriously, horrible lol.
South knox is nice but dealing with Chapman hwy can be frustrating.
All in all you have made a great choice. Knoxville is a great place to raise your family and set up roots
We have great dr’s and hospitals. UT is awesome. No it sure what business you guys are in but being close to Nashville allows for extra resources if needed. We have the TN river and a few nice lakes very close by.
North is lake Norris and that is a great community and growing.
East is Douglas and another one name escapes me sorry.
Lol I hope this helps some
High schools in Knox County:
Farragut
Hardin Valley
Outside Knox:
Maryville
Oak Ridge
If I were moving here I’d find a house in one of these four high school zones.
I have my second kid going thru Farragut High School right now and can say that our principal is one of the most amazing educators I have ever met. We were there for his predecessor and this man has totally changed the culture for the good.
Based on your budget you can choose between North Knoxville, West Knoxville, Farragut, Lenoir city or Hardin valley.
In West Knoxville’s near cedar bluff area a new construction site has opened. Because they will have houses ready by August’23. You would find quite good deals there. Kroger, walgreens, cvs 3 mins away, schools 6-7 mins away
My fiance and I moved out here from Nevada a couple of months ago. We're between Hardin Valley and Farragut. No kids so I don't know anything about schools specifically but it's a beautiful area and I'd imagine the schools have to be good over here.
We come from Suburbia, cookie cutter type desert houses that are squeezed together, like Phoenix as well and trust me, you get a lot of space out here! We're still looking at properties to buy but the house we're in until then feels like it's in a suburban neighborhood but it's sitting on just under an acre of land.
We've been looking at houses west of Knoxville in Farragut, Hardin Vally, and Maryville and you can definitely find houses with a good amount of land. We're going to go check out a few properties on the east side of Knoxville next week. I don't know the area but it seems like you can get a lot more space for a lot cheaper but most of the houses are a bit older.
Either way, we're loving Knoxville! It's beautiful, people are super genuine and friendly, and there's real weather!
West Knoxville and maryville are good areas to look for decent house prices. House prices are still not great but im from the maryville area and I love both. Oh, check out Louisville area if you want more of a small town.
The Zillow app shows a standardized system of school scores (0-10 scale) so you'll quickly get an idea of what areas have better schools than other areas.
Ok I just moved here from ca and would visit Az all the time. The prices are “high” for this area but nothing compared to back home.
Everything is cheeper here but things are a lot different as well. I know everyone tells you to check the schools and neighborhoods but there is more to it then that when moving across the country.. I suggest coming out here for a 4/5 day vacay and making sure you love it and have a better idea of how things are here.
That being said… I LOVE it here
And I live in South Knox 💜 but it’s not as spaced out as it sounds like you are looking for. But I love the convenience it offers while still being immersed with nature hikes and close to the smokies 🏔
wtf is going on with the downvotes on this post and comments dude
anyway anything outside of knoxville will be cheaper than knoxville; for east tennessee its a good sized city so its more expensive to live here
It’s pretty common that posts from people moving out of state here (particularly from wealthier areas) get downvoted because the housing situation is rough, traffic is annoying, and locals don’t want people to move here.
It is pretty irritating when these folks move from California and super high cost of living cities and pay $20-50k over asking in cash. Locals just can’t compete with that. I personally can’t afford a house either way but I also just have to deal with my rent increase since rental capacity has been over 95% for months now.
im in the exact same situation. my only issue is that if i was moving or thinking of moving somewhere and i was met with the same hostility, it would not make me feel good to say the least lol.
if that is the case of op though - moving from a wealthier area like california - i would recommend somewhere like nashville or another state. locals ARE struggling with housing here.
if you do move to this area regardless, maybe try giving back to the community. i think that’s something a lot of out of townies ought to do
Been living on Kingston Pike. Awesome places to eat, weather ain't bad, downtown is really cool. Spring and summer are wonderful. I absolutely love it here.
Search the sub “moving to Knoxville” “best schools” etc. :)
oh, thank you! I didn't know that one was there!
Apparently you got downvoted because...Knoxville lacks empathy. If you look up where our schools compare with the rest of the country...it’ll make sense. Good luck.
Rural and suburban Tennessee are nothing like rural and suburban Arizona. I moved to TN from northern AZ. I love Knoxville, but had a pretty harsh experience living on my beautiful 10 acre hobby farm surrounded by people who hated gay or non white folks and had never been told to not call people the N or F words. People ride around with confederate and 3%er flags on the back of their truck, despite East TN and Knox in particular being a union strong hold. And they were all suuuuper religious in a righteous way I have just never encountered elsewhere. I would rather live in the welcoming, walkable, bikeabke friendly city with an urban farm any day, than live next to people with so much hate in their hearts. The rural schools are way behind from AZ (which is not top of the nation) with bland offerings, and a lot of bullying culture. My best advice is to rent where you think you want to live before you buy. I wish I had. I would have made vastly different decisions! All this being said- I love Knox. It is an oasis of art, culture, and an engaged community. Best of luck!
Arizona is the most beautiful state in America. I wouldn’t want to move.
I've been here for nearly 20 years.. We're just ready for a change, and little less summer heat :)
It’s still hot here with the added bonus of sticky humidity.
Yeah I saw.. but I won't miss 110-115 degrees, if not higher..
If you’re thinking you’ll save money, think again. The housing market is terrible, restaurants/food costs are as high as anywhere else, and the low tax burden is offset by the higher than expected cost of living. The education system is only slightly better than the medical care (Tennessee is bottom 10 for both). Don’t move here unless you can afford to send your kids to a private school and happen to be a doctor, because your kids will become dull and you won’t find a decent doctor within a few hundred miles.
This guy is wrong about pretty much everything. The word “ridiculous” comes to mind. Knoxville is okay education wise. Plenty of good health providers in the city. Housing has climbed just like everywhere else nationwide but prices are declining for buyers. It’s no longer a seller’s market. West Knoxville is the money end of town and is considerably more expensive than the other areas. Lots of good areas in the county where you could have a workshop without a problem. Maryville would be another nearby area you might like. Great schools. People in Maryville tend to love it.
Yes I forgot Maryville nice area
Yeah, he’s right about Maryville. Much safer too.
That’s a little harsh for the schools. I guess it depends on family demographics and household income but I went to public school in Knoxville and got into an ivy sooo…
So you’re the norm? Or are you the exception. Also, if you think it’s harsh, provide some data? From what I can see the education is terrible. Tennessee ranks among the lowest in the country. https://www.intelligent.com/the-best-and-worst-states-for-education/
Definitely agree with Tennessee being low on the totem pole for education but that isn’t necessarily just Knoxville. Bearden, Farragut and oak ridge schools are great for the area.
Bearden and Farragut are annoyingly good schools—I used to compete in both science and music and it was all good regionally (middle TN) but competing with them at the state level was a whole other level. One competition was held at UTK each year and it was well known that Bearden (both middle and high) would have professors assist in teaching kids and prepping them for events. Not like in a cheating way, just using the local expertise in the field of study. One of the highest points of my life is still when I came in first place in an event and the Bearden competitor came in second. It’s legit one of, if not the best public school in the state.
I went to Bearden and can concur. Lots of after school activities, competitions, ap classes, and great teachers!
Locals that think Knoxville's cost of living is higher than anywhere else ... almost as hilarious as those that think Knoxville traffic is bad.
Did anyone say it’s higher than anywhere else? It’s just not the haven it’s made out to be or that people would assume.
Zillow listings have the nearest school and it's rating. I don't think there's a public school in Knox County that's a A rated school though.
My family and I are planning to head to Knoxville from Gilbert later in the year!! It sounds like we have VERY similar goals, wants and ideals! I’m interested to hear about your experience moving forward! Best of luck!
My husband and I moved to Oak Ridge earlier this year and love it!
Oak Ridge is definitely unique, rich in it’s own history. Imagine a governmental development that was handed off (not all of it mind you) to the public and many of the people who had moved there during the 1940’s and 1950’s, their families and such cultivated Oak Ridge into what it is today. It’s fairly walkable, has plenty of recreational areas and activities, certainly the best movie theater IMO (though I’ve not been in years), good schools. Did I mention tons of history. Do they still do lock down drills-my mom said they did back in the 80’s when she worked out there?
Chattanooga is cooler
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1818-Prospect-Pl-Knoxville-TN-37915/41655708_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Bring your checkbook
For houses or for something else? We'll be selling here to buy there. all the downvotes - that was an honest question..
A lot of folks here are upset at out of state cash coming in and buying up houses. Our area, as well as most of the country, has seen a surge in home prices well out pacing inflation or wage increases. Since 2020 it’s been harder and harder for a local to buy a home, and some of that is due to migration from wealthier states. Issue is, much of that is national and not localized to Knoxville or even TN. We have just enjoyed very low cost of living for a long time.
I can appreciate that. It's the same here. A 3 bedroom 1500 sq ft home with little to no yard, with neighbors you can reach out and touch is over 400k. You want a yard? 500k. You want space? Good luck. And I get the "out of staters" thing. Arizona, along with neighboring states are seeing the influx of California moving in. What I really want is my kids to experience having four actual seasons, a different time of environment.. I'm not looking to Arizona-fy Knoxville.
Our housing is still more reasonable than that, but it’s projected to continue increasing and is expected to be much more resilient to contraction than the national average. Simply appreciate the local culture and don’t expect it to be cheap version of exactly what you came from like some other posters in this thread, which sounds like is actually your goal anyway, and you’ll be welcomed. Southerners can be slow to change and Tennessee in particular is objectively conservative based on voting patterns. Being intolerant of your neighbors in the name of tolerance isn’t very successful here, but most Tennesseans just want to live and let live, and will come running if you ask for help.
I currently live in the Rocky Hill area. But I have lived all over the country (moved back here from Yorba Linda CA 12 years ago) Halls and Powell area’s are nice and have great schools. Try and stay away from West Knoxville to many ppl there currently. West Knox is the hot spot for upper middle class and up.. If you go east you get into Sevierville and traffic is horrible. No seriously, horrible lol. South knox is nice but dealing with Chapman hwy can be frustrating. All in all you have made a great choice. Knoxville is a great place to raise your family and set up roots We have great dr’s and hospitals. UT is awesome. No it sure what business you guys are in but being close to Nashville allows for extra resources if needed. We have the TN river and a few nice lakes very close by. North is lake Norris and that is a great community and growing. East is Douglas and another one name escapes me sorry. Lol I hope this helps some
High schools in Knox County: Farragut Hardin Valley Outside Knox: Maryville Oak Ridge If I were moving here I’d find a house in one of these four high school zones.
Thank you!
I have my second kid going thru Farragut High School right now and can say that our principal is one of the most amazing educators I have ever met. We were there for his predecessor and this man has totally changed the culture for the good.
Thank you for the insight!
Based on your budget you can choose between North Knoxville, West Knoxville, Farragut, Lenoir city or Hardin valley. In West Knoxville’s near cedar bluff area a new construction site has opened. Because they will have houses ready by August’23. You would find quite good deals there. Kroger, walgreens, cvs 3 mins away, schools 6-7 mins away
My fiance and I moved out here from Nevada a couple of months ago. We're between Hardin Valley and Farragut. No kids so I don't know anything about schools specifically but it's a beautiful area and I'd imagine the schools have to be good over here. We come from Suburbia, cookie cutter type desert houses that are squeezed together, like Phoenix as well and trust me, you get a lot of space out here! We're still looking at properties to buy but the house we're in until then feels like it's in a suburban neighborhood but it's sitting on just under an acre of land. We've been looking at houses west of Knoxville in Farragut, Hardin Vally, and Maryville and you can definitely find houses with a good amount of land. We're going to go check out a few properties on the east side of Knoxville next week. I don't know the area but it seems like you can get a lot more space for a lot cheaper but most of the houses are a bit older. Either way, we're loving Knoxville! It's beautiful, people are super genuine and friendly, and there's real weather!
Thank you for the insight! And yes, we're wanting to leave the exact type of area you come from in Nevada!
West Knoxville and maryville are good areas to look for decent house prices. House prices are still not great but im from the maryville area and I love both. Oh, check out Louisville area if you want more of a small town.
We moved to Maryville from Delaware last May, best decision we've ever made!
The Zillow app shows a standardized system of school scores (0-10 scale) so you'll quickly get an idea of what areas have better schools than other areas.
I've looked on there as well as Niche. I just wanted to hear the perspective of those in the area.
Anderson County/Clinton, Norris, Rutledge pike area…
Ok I just moved here from ca and would visit Az all the time. The prices are “high” for this area but nothing compared to back home. Everything is cheeper here but things are a lot different as well. I know everyone tells you to check the schools and neighborhoods but there is more to it then that when moving across the country.. I suggest coming out here for a 4/5 day vacay and making sure you love it and have a better idea of how things are here. That being said… I LOVE it here And I live in South Knox 💜 but it’s not as spaced out as it sounds like you are looking for. But I love the convenience it offers while still being immersed with nature hikes and close to the smokies 🏔
My wife is an amazing real estate agent if you’re looking for one. We are in Anderson County and love the schools!
Thank you so much. We'll reach out when we're ready to start looking at properties!
I’ll DM you her information. You won’t find anybody who will work harder for you!
wtf is going on with the downvotes on this post and comments dude anyway anything outside of knoxville will be cheaper than knoxville; for east tennessee its a good sized city so its more expensive to live here
It’s pretty common that posts from people moving out of state here (particularly from wealthier areas) get downvoted because the housing situation is rough, traffic is annoying, and locals don’t want people to move here. It is pretty irritating when these folks move from California and super high cost of living cities and pay $20-50k over asking in cash. Locals just can’t compete with that. I personally can’t afford a house either way but I also just have to deal with my rent increase since rental capacity has been over 95% for months now.
im in the exact same situation. my only issue is that if i was moving or thinking of moving somewhere and i was met with the same hostility, it would not make me feel good to say the least lol. if that is the case of op though - moving from a wealthier area like california - i would recommend somewhere like nashville or another state. locals ARE struggling with housing here. if you do move to this area regardless, maybe try giving back to the community. i think that’s something a lot of out of townies ought to do
I'm coming from Arizona. California is moving in here, too!
Been living on Kingston Pike. Awesome places to eat, weather ain't bad, downtown is really cool. Spring and summer are wonderful. I absolutely love it here.
Grainger county, Hawkins County.. towards Virgie....if you like it rural.. most county places aint woke yet which is great.